


True Love Isn't So Elementary

by demonharu



Series: SouKisuWeek 2016 [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: First Meeting, M/M, soukisuweek, soukisuweek2016, sousuke is an awkward bean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 06:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6108069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonharu/pseuds/demonharu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SouKisu Week 2016 Day 1 Prompt: Firsts.</p><p>It hasn't even been half an hour since school started at Sano Elementary and it's already the worst day of Sousuke's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	True Love Isn't So Elementary

The first day of school was always so _boring_ and, just because of his surname, Sousuke always got stuck near the back of the class.  His legs weren’t even long enough to touch the floor when he was sitting down yet and, somehow, they expected him to be able to see the board all the way from the back.  How was that fair?  It should be arranged by height or something, in his opinion.  He could barely see a thing that the teacher was writing on the board from behind the slightly-taller mop of pink hair seated just in front of him.

To make it all worse, he didn’t even know anyone in this class.  Rin ended up in the classroom next door and he didn’t know many other kids in the class—just a few from the swim club, but they weren’t exactly chummy.  This year was going to be just awful.

Since looking at the board was basically useless and he wasn’t in the mood for paying attention to the long line of introductions that would come before himself, Sousuke crossed his arms and lay his head down on top of them on his desk with a huff, thoroughly dissatisfied with how this first day of school was going thus far.  At least he could have lunch with Rin.

After the third introduction, the boy in front of him started bouncing—actually _bouncing_ —in his seat.  The back of his chair pushed against Sousuke’s desk, shaking it more than enough to annoy. _Bounce, bounce, bounce._  Sousuke stayed still, his head resting on his arms, waiting for his unnecessary enthusiasm to die away eventually, but after the seventh bounce, he could take no more.

“Knock it off,” he grumbled in a hushed tone to the boy in front of him.   Who was this excited on the first day of school?

The boy didn’t turn around, but he seemed to settle down after mumbling back a softer, “Sorry, sorry!  I just get excited!”

“Whatever…,” Sou said, resting his head back down.  

...

 _Bounce, bounce, bounce._  Another few students introduced themselves and it started up again.  What was this guy’s problem?

“Oi,” Sousuke said, giving the seat in front of him a sharp kick with one of his short legs.  “I said _knock it off._  It’s annoying.”

The pink-haired bouncy guy flinched at the kick to his desk, whispering in response over his shoulder, “Sorry!  The first day of school is so exciting!”  He didn't sound apologetic at all. 

 _Weirdo._   “Just stop shaking the desk…,” Sousuke grumbled back, resting his head back down and closing his eyes. There were still so many students to go through, so many people he didn’t care about the names of, and he already wanted to go home.

…

_Bounce, bounce, bounce._

Sousuke let out an annoyed huff and gave the desk a sharp kick again, threatening through clenched teeth, “Stop.”

_Bounce, bounce, bounce._

_"Oi!"_ he said in a hushed tone, kicking his seat once more. 

... 

_Bounce, bounce, bounce._

Sou could and would stand for no more.  He abruptly sat up in his desk, fists clenched, and yelled, “Stop it!” The pink-haired boy in front of him flinched away and the whole class fell silent, the child who’d been doing his own introduction for the class looking suddenly close to tears.  

“Yamazaki-kun!” the teacher at the front of the room scolded, arms crossed as she looked down her nose at him from across the room, her spectacles near to falling off of her long, thin nose.  “Be quiet until it is your turn!”

Sousuke looked to her towering figure, unintimidated and uninterested at being treated so unjustly, and insisted as he gestured to the pink-haired annoyance before him, “But he’s shaking my desk!”

The teacher raised a hand to her temple, moving her fingers in small circular motions, and gave a tired sigh.  “Shigino-kun, if you please.”

“I won’t do it anymore, I promise!” the boy in front of him insisted quickly, sitting up very straight and jostling the desk once more.  

With a _hmph_ , the teacher nodded and then gestured for the boy who’d been interrupted to continue.  Sousuke slid down in his seat, arms crossed, glaring at the back of the head of the boy in front of him. _Shigino.  Tch._

Surprisingly enough, Shigino actually _did_ manage to calm down and there was no more bouncing, though Sousuke went ahead and kicked his chair another time again, just to let him know that he didn’t like him.  He’d nearly gotten in trouble on the very first day of school because of him!

More students and more introductions passed without further event and Sousuke practiced what he was supposed to say in his mind, mouthing out the words silently.   _My name is Yamazaki Sousuke.  I’m seven years old and I like swimming.  Please treat me well._  Simple enough.

When it was Shigino’s turn, Shigino stood almost too quickly, shaking the desk, too excited and announced proudly with a smile Sousuke could hear in his voice, “I’m Shigino Kisumi!  I’m seven and I like to play basketball!  It’s great to meet you!  Let’s all be friends!”  

Right. _Friends._ Sousuke frowned at his back, arms grumpily remaining crossed while the rest of the class politely clapped for him.   _As if I’d ever be friends with_ that _guy._

A few more students introduced themselves and then it was Sousuke’s turn.  He stood to the side of his desk, stuffed his hands in the pockets of his new jeans his mom had bought for him last week, and opened his mouth to speak, but he found himself suddenly unable to say or think or do anything at all when Kisumi turned around and, for the first time that day, Sousuke saw his face.

_My name is Yamazaki Sousuke.  I’m seven years old and I like swimming.  Please treat me well._

“M-my name’s…”

Kisumi smiled up at him excitedly from his seat, bouncing again.  His teeth were pearly white and perfectly straight and his lips were pink and plump as they stretched wide, pushing up his cheeks until he nearly had dimples and his shining eyes looked crinkly with youthful exuberance.

_My name is Yamazaki Sousuke.  I’m seven years old and I like swimming.  Please treat me well._

“... Yamazaki S-Sousuke…”

He had the prettiest eyes Sousuke had ever seen.  Under the florescent lighting in the classroom, they seemed to sparkle with a happiness and energy that seemed to spread out from his body as if trying to envelope and devour Sousuke with his contagious enthusiasm.

_My name is Yamazaki Sousuke.  I’m seven years old and I like swimming.  Please treat me well._

“...I-I’m seven y-years old…”

Kisumi leaned forward, putting his elbows on Sousuke’s desk, seemingly hanging off of Sousuke’s every word and Sousuke could see him sounding out his own name on his lips.   _Sou-suke~_ his soft lips seemed to say, quieter than a whisper, making Sousuke's knees weak and his brain fuzzy, and it didn't even occur to Sousuke then that he was probably just trying to commit his name to memory. 

_My name is Yamazaki Sousuke.  I’m seven years old and I like swimming.  Please treat me well._

“... a-and I like Kisumi...”

Wait.  That wasn’t right.

One of his classmates snickered and, as dread settled into his chest, the realization of what he'd said sinking in, Sousuke wished that the floor would just open up and swallow him whole.  That wasn’t what he’d meant to say at all!  Soon the whole class was giggling, snorting, and Sousuke could feel his cheeks turning red with heat.  This couldn't be happening!  Not on the first day of school!

“ _Tch_.”  Sousuke’s fists were clenched at his sides as hot tears of embarrassment brimmed on the edges of his vision and he abruptly turned and rushed out of the room before they could begin to fall, away from his giggling classmates and away from the teacher who shouted after him to come back and away from Kisumi and that wide-eyed look of shock on his face where that breathtaking smile used to be.  He ran right for the boys' bathroom and locked himself in a stall where he hoped no one would ever find him.

This year was going to be the absolute worst.


End file.
